Latching hook for oil-well elevators



Oct. 9, 1928.

1,687,006 W. F. CORNELIUS LATCHING HOOK FOR OIL WELL ELEVATORS FiledJan. 12, 1927 g l l 2 '5 i6 10 .53 1 32 1/" 7 31 1 L/ ;.4rzg Z .5 @8 5"Patented Oct. 9, 1928.

' UNITED sTArE s- PATENT, OFFICE.

WESLEY F. CORNELIUS, 0F WHITTIEB, CALiFORNIA.

LATCHING HOOK Eon OIL-WELL ELEVATORS.

Application filed January 12, 1927. Serial No. 160,617.

My invention relates to a latching hook that is particularly designedfor use in connectionwith the rod and tubing elevators of oil wellderricks, the principal objects of my inven-v tion beingto provide anelevator hook that is relatively simple in construction, inexpen- 'acterreferred to with manually operable sive of manufacture and which isprovided with relatively simple and. easilyoperated means for positivelylocking. the engaged link or bale.

Further objects of provide a safety latch hook of the charmeans forpositively locking the rotary latch when the same is in its link or balesecuring position to provide the hook with a manually engageable handlethat serves as a guard for a portion of the latch securing means; fur-'ther, to provide a hook wherein the rotary latching member isautomatically shifted into link or bale securing position as the link orbale is engaged by the hook; and further, to provide improved, means forVery securely locking the screws that connect the two parts.

with portions thereof in section forthe pur pose of clearerillustration;

Fig. 2 is an eleva'tional view similar to Fig. 1 and showinga baleorlink engagedby the hook-and with the latch in position to lock thebale or link to thehook.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken approxi mately on the line 38 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail elevational View showing the means forsecuring in set posi tion the screws that are utilized forconnect ingthetwo parts-of the latching member of the hook.

Fig.5 is a cross section taken on the line;

5--5 of Fig. i. s

.Beferring by numerals to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates'a'practica'len'n bodiment of myinvention, 10 designates a shank that.has the form of ashort cylindrical body and formed integral with-thelower end thereof, is a hook 11 of approximately my invention are i toshearing faces 19.

270 in length. The upper end-of theshank 10 terminates in a head 12 and"arranged forrotation on the shank just below this head is a collaror'cro'ss head 13. In order to reduce the friction between the head 12and collar 13, suitable anti-friction bearings (not .shown) are arrangedbetween saidhead and collar,

Projecting from the collar or cross head 13. are trunnions l4 upon whichare'pivotally mounted the lower ends of an inverted U- shaped bale' 15by means of which the'hook is suspended apparatus; I

. Formed integral with the intermediate portion of shank 10, isthe-upperendof a handle 16, the lower end of which is formed integralwith the upper rear portionof hook 11, said 131K116 providing meanswhereby the hook may be manually engaged while in operation. 7

The free end of hook 11 terminates in a short outwardly and upwardlyprojecting nose 16 and the inner face 17 of this nose porfrom theelevator or hoisting tion is inclined and extendsdownwardly andinwardlyto meet the inner face of the body of the hook. Thisarrangement'provides a downwardly inclined surface uponwhichthe link orbale mayride while entering the hook.

The inner face of the main body portion" "of the hook is provided with.a centrally arranged.circumferentially extending rib 18 and formed atthe-sides of this rib are flat The rotary latchlng member 20 that ismounted within the hook is formed in two parts that are practicallyidentical in size, fornr and construction, said parts being formed sothat they are joined on a medial line and formed integral with the outerportions ofthetwo parts of'said latching member are marginal flanges 21that occupy positions to the sides of the rib 18 and the edges of whichflanges directly engage the bearing faces 19 I that are formed on hook11 to the sides of said rib'18.-

Portions of the members forming the rotary latch are cut away to providea notch that is approximately 90'? in" or opening 22 length. I 7

The parts of the latch are firmly secured to each other by means ofscrews 23- having against accidental displacement as a result ofcountersunk heads 24 andto locksaid screws continued vibration, a smallportion ofthe edge of the head of each screw is, by means of suitabletools, bent downwardly into a recess that is formed in the faceof thelatch and which recess is formed at the edge of the countersunk openingthat receives the head of the screw (see Figs. 4 and. 5.)

The arrangement just described,provides simple and effective means forlocking the screws that connect the parts of the latch and, in the eventthat it becomes necessary, the screws may. be removed by engaging thesame with a screw-driver and applying sufficient power thereto toshearthe relatively small portionof the edge that is bent downinto therecess 25.

med .in the lower portion of the shank 10 and at the point where thehook l1 joins said shank, is an aperture 26 within which is arrangedadetent27 that is pivoted on a iin or bolt 28 and the point or forwardend of said detent normally projects into thecircularopening within thehook so as to engage a notch 29 that is formed in the periphery of thelatch between the flanges 21. This notch 29,is located. so thatwhen thepoint of the detentis engaged therein, a portion of the rotary latchbridges the opening between the endof the hook and the lower end ofshank 10, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and when the latchis thuspositioned, the notch 22 .is positioned directly above the lowermostportion ofthe hook and cooperates therewith to forman opening thatreceives the link or bale 30that is engaged by the hook.

Bearing on top of the detent adjacent to its free end,'is a compressionspring 31 that.

occupies-an.aperture formed in the lowerpor tion of the shank and theupper end ofsaid spring bearing against a screw plug 32 that is seatedinthe upper portion of said last mentioned aperture. 1

Formed integral with and projecting upwardly from the rear end'of thedetent, is a handle that occupies a position in the opening between thehandle16 and the body of shank 10.

When my improved latching hook is set to receive a link or bale, handle38 is engaged and drawn toward fixed handle 16, thereby elevating thepoint of the detent from the V notch 29 and the rotary latch is nowrotated until the notch 22 coincides with the opening between the pointof the hook and the lower end of shank 10 (see Fig. 1).

The hook is now manipulated by manual engagementof the handle 16 so thatthe upper portion of a link or bale enters-the opening between the lowerend of shank 10 and the i point of hook 11 and as the latching hook iselevated, or as the engaged link or bale is lowered, the upper portionofthe latter .will bear on the inclined face of notch 22 that is belowthe point of the hook and this engagement. will cause the rotary latchto 17 and when said link or bale comes to rest at the lowermost point inthe hook, it will be in direct axial.alignmentwith shank 10,

with the result that thepulling strains 'ljl'lpressed on} thexshank ofthe hook will be transmitted indirect. alignment to. the engaged linkorbale.

Thusthe engagement of the link orhale in the hookis .utilizedforautomatically shift ing the rotary latching member to its hook closingposition. and when said latch isthus positioned, it is positivelylockediagainst. reverse motionby the spring held detent 27-.

The handle 16, formed integral with they rear side o.f= .the hook andshank, provides convenient means for manipulatingthehook when a link orbale is-being engaged or 2 while the hook is beingdisengaged from a linkorbal'e and said handle 16 performs the function ofla guard for thehandle 33 of the detent. r

Thusitwill be seen that I haveprovided arelatively simple, practical.and efficient hook that is especially designed; for use, in connectionwith the elevators or hoisting appliances utilized. on oil, wellderricks and which hook is provided with relatively simple means forpositively locking within the vhookthe engaged .linkor bale that forms-apart ofthe connections to the rods; oritubingthat are lifted bytheelevator.) V I It'will be understood that minorchanges in the size,form. and COIIStIUGtlOHOf the various; parts of my improved latchinghookmay be made and substituted for those herein shown and describedwithoutv departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope ofwhich isset forth in the appended claims. I claim as my invention :v 1. Alatching hook of the character described, comprising ashank, ahookformed integral with one end of said shank,a notched latchingmemberarranged for rotation within the hook, a handleformed integralwith said shank and hook, there being an. opening formed thru the hookat the point where the same joins the shank, a spring pressed detentextending thru said opening andfpiv otally mounted therein forengaging." and holding the rotarylatching member in closed position anda'handle formed integral with r and projecting upwardly from the rearend of I said detent, which handle is. arranged be- I tween the handleof the hook and the shank rotated in thehook until said rotary latchingthereof. 7

2. In a latching hook of the character. described, a shank, a hookformed integral with one end thereof, the center of the circular openingwithin said hook intersecting the axial line of the shank, a notchedlatching member arranged for rotation Within the hook andv a springpressed detent' pivotally mounted in an opening that is formed thru theupper portion of the hook for locking said latching member in hookclosing position.

3. In a latching hook of the character described, a shank, a hook formedintegral With the rotary latching member in hook closingposition and aportion of which detent projects upwardly between said handle and shank.I

4. In-a latching hook of the character described, a shank, a hook formedintegral with the lower end of said shank, a notched latching memberarranged for rotation within said hook, there being an opening formedthru the hook adjacent to the point Where the same unites with theshank, a spring pressed detent pivotally mounted Within said opening forengaging the rotary latching member to hold the same in position toclose the hook, a handle formed integral with and projecting upwardlyfrom the rear end of said detent, and a combined hook manipulatinghandle and guard formed integral with the shank and the upper'portion ofthe ,hookthereon, which combined handle and guard overlies thehandlethat projects upwardly from the detent.

In testimony whereof I affix my signa-

